Fruit picker



Aug- 10, 1965 c. N. wlLczEK 3,199,280

FRUIT PICKER Filed Jan. 30, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet l 1N VEN TOR. C11/E575@ M WczE/ r- ,QA/Ey.

Aug. 10, 1965 c. N. wlLczEK FRUIT PICKER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 30, 1963 K E Y 4N www m |l :WM 1 aw m 9 E ,eww Q w A+ 0a Ww M Allg- 10, 1965 c. N. WlLczEK 3199,29

FRUIT PICKER Filed Jan. 30, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 (f1/5752 jv.' I/WcZE/ INVENTOR.

TTOQ/VEY frire?. l5.

United States Patent O adsense PlCKER Chester N. Wilezelr, 2.59 W. Walnut Ave., Arcadia, Calif. Filed dan. Sli, l93, Ser. No. 258,10@ :L3 Claims. (Cl. Sti- 334) This invention relates to harvesting apparatus and more especially to an improved `fruit picker. This invention is a continuationdn-part of rny previous application, Serial No. 195,837, led May i8, i962, for Fruit Picker.

An obj'ect oi the invention is to provide a simple, practical and inexpensive fruit piclier of the character described.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved fruit picker that is light in weight, easy to operate and is or" rigid construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide an irnproved fruit picker that is sale and fast in operation and yet is gentle in the handling of the picked fruit.

A further obiect of the invention is to provide an improved fruit picker which results in savings of time, money and labor in its operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide improve` ments in a fruit picker incorporating a tubular transparent conveyor made of plastic material that is sun-resistant in the sense that it contains an ultra-violet stabilizer whereby the normal life of the conveyor is greatly increased to the extent of twice that of the types heretofore known.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a fruit piclter a conveyor or sock which is so dimensioned as to provide ample room for the conveying of the picked fruit from the upper end thereof to the lower end which forms in ellect a basket to receive and contain a generous quantity of the piclied fruit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fruit piclzer having a conveyor or sock as in the previous objects, the lower end of which has a closure which may be readily' opened to permit the picked fruit to be transterreni to a carton, box or the like for transportation.

Another object of the present invention is a fruit picker adapted to utilize the weight of the fruit being picked to actuate its stem cutting means.

Another object of the present invention is a fruit picker having jaw members adapted to properly position the fruit being picked with respect to its stern cutting means.

Still another object of the present invention is an improved fruit picker adapted to easily cut the stems of the fruit being picked While protecting the fruit from damage from such cutting means.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear and be brought out more fully in the following soecication, reference being made to the accompanying drawings which show an embodiment of the invention and shown by Way of exempliiication thereof but not of limitation.

in general, the present invention includes a fruit picker Comprising a. stati having a Wire loop mounted at its upper end constituting a lined jaw member. Adjoining the area enclosed by said fixed jaw member is the upper open end of a conveyor which is secured to said wire loop. Rotatably mounted at the upper end lof said staff is a second wire loop constituting a movable jaw member. Said movable jaw member may be substantially the same size as said fixed jaw member and adapted to be rotated into Contact with said fixed jaw member. Alternan Patented Aug'. lo, 'i965 ICC tively, said movable jaw member may be substantially smaller than said fixed jaw member so that it may be rotated through said fixed jaw member. In the latter case7 said fixed jaw member supports a fruit-actuated stem cutting means which includes a mounting plate removably clamped onto the Wire loop over the upper portion of said jaw area. Such mounting plate has a central notch with its open end adjoining said jaw area. Said mounting plate also has lower edges adjoining said jaw area adapted to slide the fruit stems'contacting them into said notch when'said fruit picker is pulled downward. Finally, said fruit-actuated stem cutting means includes a pair of severing means pivotally attached to the low-er side of said mounting plate and separated by said notch, said pair of severing means being adapted to cut a fruit stem received in said notch.

In order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, reference will now be made to appended drawings of several preferred specific embodiments of the present invention. Such drawings should not be construed as limiting the invention which is properly set forth in the appended claims.

in the drawings:

FG. l is a perspective view of a fruit piclreL embodying the present invention.

FlG. 2 is an enlarged view partly in section of the upper portion of the fruit picker shown in FlG. l.

PEG. 2a is a view similar to HG. 2 showing the lower portion of the fruit piercer.

FIG. 3 is a view taken along line 3 3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 4 4 of FlG. 2a.

PEG. 5 is a sectional view enlarged taken along line 5 5 of FG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a View similar to FIG. 2 showing a modiiied form of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line '7 7 of PEG. 6.

RG. 8 is an enlarged sectional View taken along line 3 8 of FlG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary or a partial view showing the cutting means of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 in elevation Iand lshowing the tube in section taken along line 9 9 of FlG. 8.

FiG. lt) is .an enlarged sectional view taken along line 1 l.tl o' PEG. 6.

FlG. ll is .a view partly in section of the upper portion of still another embodiment of the ruit picker of the present invention.

FIG. l2 is a View taken along line l2 l2 of FIG. 1l.

FIG. 13 is a plan view of the lower side ot the fruit actuated stem cutting means shown in FIGS. 11 and l2.

`FlG. 14 is :a cross-section of the stem cutting means of FIG. 13 taken along the lines M Sifl of FlG. 13.

FIG. 15 is a plan view of the lower side of another ernbodiment `of the fruit-actuated stem cutting means.

`Referring more particularly to the drawings, the fruit picker of this invention comprises three essential elements: a stati lil, conveyor or sock ll and a jaw or mouth unit l2. Stall l@ is a tube l@ made ot a lightweight material, such as aluminum, and has a handle portion l5 at its loi er end which may be closed by a cap lo of rubber, plastic or other suitable material.

Conveyer or sock lll comprises an elongated envelope or tube l? preferably of a transparent thermoplastic material having a suitable wall thickness to provide the desired strength and is of a length slightly shorter than that of staff lltlgso that the handle portion extends downwardly beyond the lower end of the conveyor. ITube 17 is of a cross-section size several times that of the size of the crosssection of staff il? so as to permit the conveying without injury of fruit of ample size. The open lower end of tube 17 is formed at an angle from staff 1t? to permit a portion thereof of the tube to be folded over on itself to Iform a flap lil which may be provided with a button or snap fastener `securement 2l? thus forming an enlarged pocket for temporarily con-taining picked fruit until it is released or dumped from a pocket into a carton or box for transportation or shipping to a collecting or storage location.

A bracket or fixture 2l is adjustably secured in tube itl 'as by a transverse lock pin 22 extending through a slot l in the tube and secures the lower ends of a wire 2.3 the central or upper portion thereof being formed as Ia loop and constituting la fixed jaw member of the mouth formaf -tion which includes the upper end of tube 17 of the conveyor ll. rlille upper end edge por-tion of the tube 17 is 4folded around wireZS `and is detachably secured on the wire as bysnap fasteners or the equivalent 211i.

Wire 2-3 has a pair of loop formations Z5 which form bearings/for the transversely bent end portion of a wire 26 which has :a loop formation corresponding in form and size to the loop of wire 23, the other end of wire 26 being bent around the first mentioned end thereof and terminating in a lever arm and `hook 27. A sheet of plastic 2% is secured across the loop formed by wire Edand comprises a jaw of the mouth l2 of the picker.

A wire or cable 3d has one end thereof secured on hook 27 and extends downwardly through staff tube .14 and its other end is secured on the arcuate portion 31 of a lever 32 which has a pivot support 33 carried by a bracket 34 also contained within tube 14 adjacent the handle portion l5 thereof. A coil spring 35 has one end thereof secured to the hook end 27 of wire 2o and the other end thereof to wire 23 in such manner as to normally maintain the jaw formed by wire 26 and the envelope 23 in open condition las seen in FIGS. 1 and 2. The torsion spring 35 holds the wire 30 taut. rlhe degree of maximum jaw opening is determined iby adjusting the position of bracket 2l in tube la held by lock pin 22. Y

The manner of use and operati-on of invention :as described should lbe clear from the foregoing description drops into the upper part of tube or conveyor lll fromV whence it is conducted or conveyed to the lower end thereof.- FlG l-illustrates the manner in which the plastic tube or sock i7 may be partially collapsed to prevent the fruit `from dropping to the bottom of the tube in one movement which might result in injury or crushing of the fruit.

Referring now to FiGS. 6 to l() which show a modified .form of the invention, the fruit picker of this modificati-on comprises a staff It@ and a conveyor or sock el generally similar to the staff and conveyor or sock of FIGS. "1-5. Staff e@ comprises a tube 42 made of a lightweight material and 'has a handle portion 43 at its lower end whichV may bel closed by a cap lid, of rubber, plastic or other suitable material. :Conveyor or sock All comprises an elon-Y gated envelope Vor tube 45 generally similar to tube i7. Y A bracket or plug de is secured lin ytube 4,2 at the upper end thereof `as by transverse lock pin 47 adjustably secured in a slot lf3 in the tube d2... Bracket or plug 46 ksecures the lower ends of a wire Sil having an upper central or loop portion 51. The upper open end portion Vof tube 0r envelope'iS -is folded around loop portion 51 as at 5 2 upper end to constitute a fixed jaw member.

land secured to the wire by snap fasteners or the equivalent. The upper end of envelope or tube 45 is enlarged `as at 42 to provide a pocket or space in which to receive the `fruit as yit enters the envelope or tube upon being picked.

A fruit'stem cutter device 5S is secured on the upper end of staff to .and has a fixed cutter blade member 55 having a laterally extendingrfoot 5S by which it is `secured on the upper end of fixture or plug do and suitably secured to it by a screw. The cutter device includes a rotary blade 57 pivoted to fixed blade 5e as by a pivot screw 59. "Blade 56 has .a somewhat triangular shaped cut-out portion forming a cutting blade di?Y and'rotary blade 57 has a similar cutout portion forming cutting edges of and 62, respectively. lCutting edge 62 is curved or arcuately shaped as shown for hol-ding the stern of a fruit article against blade loil during the cutting opera-tion. A c-oil spr-ing 63 is positi-oned on pivot screw 59 and has one end thereof extended through and held in an aperture ed in xed blade element 56. The other end of spring d3 is wound around or otherwise ysuitably secured to a pin e5 which extends outwardly from blade element 57 by which Varrangement the spring biases the cutter blade member 57 in the open position and returns it to open position after actuation.

YVA cord, cable or wire do is also connected to pin 65 'and is extended through plug lo and tube i2 and has its lower end connected-or secured onY the arcuate portion -5'7 j of a disc 63 whichihas a pivot support on a bracket 69 suitably secured within tube i2 adjacent handle 43. An actuating grip member 7# suitably formed to comprise a .hand grip extends through a slot 7l in tube 42 and is biased outwardly by springs 72. Grip member 7G is provided with `an elongated recess to receive a portion of disc @Sto which it is secured by a pin 73. y

The operation of the invention as shown in FIGS. 6-10 should be apparent from the description thereof. The picker is manipulated in the manner shown in FlG. 1 so that the fruit enters the enlargement 54 of the sock 4l and with the stem thereof positioned between blades 6i? and 62 Vof the cutter device 55. Upon actuation of the handle member 70, the wire or cable 66 will be pulled down thus rotating the movable rotary cutter member 57 whereupon the stem of theV fruit will be cut and the fruit rwill be freed and passed down the envelope 45 to the bottom thereof and be retained until released or dumped from the pockets formed by flaps 1S.

Still another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated'in FIGS. ll-l4. As illustrated in FlGS. l1 and 12, the staff lll utilizes a wire loop Si) mounted at its Y Similar to FIGS. 1-5, the conveyor i1 includes a tube 17 having an open upper end adjoining the area enclosed by the fixed jaw member Sti. Also, the Wire Sti has a pair of loop formations which form bearings for the transversely bent end portion of a wire loop 8o. The other end of the wire loop S6 is bent around the first mentioned end thereof and terminates in a lever arm and hook S7. The second-wire loop So isv thus rotatably mounted at the upper end of the staff 1li and constitutes the movable jaw member. A sheet of plastic lis secured across the loop formed by the wire 85, i.e. the jaw area. Unlike the second loop of wire 26 in FIGS. 1-5 which corresponds in form and size to the first loop of wire 23, the second loop of wire S5 is substantially smaller in size than the fixed jaw member Si), although it corresponds generally to the same form.Y Thus, the movable jaw member Se may be rotated throughsaid fixed jaw member. VThe operating means adapted to rotate said movable jaw member are identical to the operating means set forth in connection with FiGS. 1-5. However,V said operating means inthe instant embodiment of the present invention will rotate the movable jaw member through said fixed jaw member so that the fruit is grasped and positioned inthe upper end'of the conveyor l1 with its stem positioned in Vthe fruit-acutated stern cutting means set forth below.

adsense 5 Also is should be noted that the hook 87 is positioned substantially forward of the stall l to prevent fruit passing down the tube 17 from coming into Contact with it.

rlhe fruit-actuated stem cutting means 90 includes a mounting plate 9i which is removably clamped onto the wire loop S@ over the upper portion of its jaw area by means of ngers 92 and 93 and a projection The projection S4 includes both a first panel 95 perpendicular to the mounting plate 91 and a second panel 96 parallel to the mounting plate 91 ending with a curved panel 9oz: at 45 degrees to panel 96 which are adapted to give the mounting plate resistance to bending movements operating either in the plane of the mounting plate or in either of two planes perpendicular to the plane of the mounting plate. Also, the projection 94 in conjunction with the fingers Blf?. and 93 insures that the mounting plate 9i is firmly held in position on the wire loop Sil, except when a portion of the wire loop Sil is bent inwardly to permit the mounting plate 9i to be slipped oil. The mounting plate @l has a central notch 5-7 therein with its open end adjoining the jaw area of the fixed jaw Sil. The corners 99 of said notch 97 adjoining said jaw area have guard means lill! dependent therefrom to protect the fruit being picked. Preferably, the central portion ltll of the mounting plate 9i is recessed into the jaw area Sil so that the severing means lill and lll are positioned adjacent to the base of the stem of the fruit being picked. As noted above, the upper end of the envelope or tube i7 is preferably enlarged to extend forward of the xed jaw member 8d. The pocket formed thereby is adapted to receive fruit whose stem is positioned in the fruit-actuated stein cutting means of the present invention. The lower edges lill); adjoining the jaw area are adapted to slide the fruit stems contacting them into the notch 97 when said fruit picker is pulled downward. Preferably, each of the lower edges 192 of the mounting plate Ell form an angle to the axis of the stall lu in the range between about 30 to 60. Such lower edges lilZ, if desired, may also be curved to facilitate the sliding of the fruit stems into the notch 97.

The fruit-actuated stem cutting means gli also includes a pair of severing means il@ and lll. pivotally attached to the lower side of the mounting plate l and separated by the notch 97. The severing means lll@l and lll are adapted to cut a fruit stem received in said notch when the fruit picker is pulled downward. As illustrated in FIGS. ll-l4, each severing means comprises a knife 3.2 and H3, respectively, having a cutting edge llll and "15, respectively. Each of the knives il?. and M3 is biased by a hair spring lli and il?, respectively, into an open position (as shown) wherein the lower portion li-tz and l of the cutting edges lili and lle', respectively, extend under the adjoininfI notch edge 9S and the upper portion ib and lliib, respectively, extend into the notch area and overlap the other knife cutting edge. As illustrated, each of the knives lll and El?) are adapted to bei rotated by a fruit stem (illustrated in outline) t its cutting edge into a closed position (shown in dotted lines in PEG. lll) wherein each of the cutting edges l *l and lid overlaps the other cutting edge over subially its entire length. When in their open position, the cutting edges iid and lie' preferably have an angle between them in the range between about to 60. Also, preferably the lower corner portions M8 and fil@ of the cuttinv edges lid and M5 are blunt to protect the fruit being picked.

Esch of the knives lll and H3 -re separated from the lower side @l by their spring-biasing means llo and ll?. As illustrated, the spring-biasing means comprises a pair of hair springs lid and il? which are mounted on sleeves l2?, and i123. Similarly, the knives ll?. and H3 themselves are pivotally mounted on the sleeves 12.2 and l, respectively, and stopped in their open positions by bosses 26 and l2?, respectively. The sleeves 122 and are in turn rotatably mounted on shafts ld and 125, respectively, which are attached to the mounting plate. As illustrated, the knife means :i512 and llllS have the cutting edges lid and lll as an integral portion thereof. However, the cutting edges may be separate elements which may be inserted into slots in the knives lill and il?) and fixed therein by appropriate means, such as screws.

The manner of use and operation of the specific embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FlGS. ll-l4 should be clear from the foregoing escription and particularly in connection with the description of FIGS. 1-5. The fruit picker is held by a Worker with the movable jaw S5 open and the fixed jaw i559 surrounding the stem of the fruit, such as an orange or apple. Upon the actuation of the lever 32, the wire 3b wil be pulled down, closing the movable jaw member ile so that the fruit is forced into the pocket of the tube ll with its stem resting on the lower edge lili of the mounting plate ell. When the stall l@ is then pulled downward by the worker, the stem or" the fruit slides into the notch if? where it is cut by the severing means il@ and lill. The fruit then drops into the upper part of the tube il from whence it may be conducted to the lower end thereof.

As illustrated in FlG. l5, the severing means alternatively may comprise a knife lfil having a cutting edge ll adjoining the notch 97, and the other severing means 332 may have a liat surface or anvil 133 which is adapted to receive the cutting edge lll. The operation of such severing means is the same except that the cutting is done by the contact of the cutting edge 131 with the anvil i331.

Many other specilic embodiments ol the present invention will be obvious to one skilled in the art in view of this disclosure. For example, the cutting edges may be either smooth, as illustrated, or serrated where a sawing action is desired. Furthermore, as already noted, the severing means may comprise two cutting edges or one cutting edge and an anvil adapted to receive such cutting edge. Such cutting edges may be either straight, as illustrated, or circular, if desired. Furthermore, the movable jaw means may be smaller than the fixed jaw means and adapted to rotate through said fixed jaw means to position the stem of the fruit properly adjacent the stem cutting means. Alternatively, the movable jaw means may be the same size or larger than the ixed jaw means so that he fruit may be pulled olf by the jaw means or the movable jaw means positions the stem of the fruit in the cutting means from above the fixed jaw means.

There are many features in the present invention which clearly show the signirlcant advance the present invention represents over the prior art. Consequently, only a few of the more outstanding feautres will be pointed out to illustrate the unexpected and unusual results attained by the present invention. A particular feature of novelty is the formation of the tube or conveyor lll which is preierably a vinyl thermoplastic containing an ultra-violet stabilizer which thus renders the conveyor sun-resistant. By this character of the conveyor the conveyor has a long sun lite which may reach double that of comparable conveyors that are not so constituted.

Another' feature of the present invention is a stem cutting means wherein the weight or" the fruit itself actuates the cutting action rather than requiring operating means adjacent the lower end of the fruit picker. Such cutting means is adapted to sever the stem ot the fruit adjacent the base of the stem merely by pulling downward on the fruit picker. Another feature of the present invention is a pair of jaw means which is adapted to pick one fruit out of a cluster of fruit and remove it.

lt will he understood that the foregoing description and examples are only illustrative of the present invention and it is not intended that the invention be limited thereto. All substitutions, alterations, and modications of the present invention which come within the scope of the following calims or to which the present invention is readily susceptible without departing from the spirit and scope Y of this disclosure are considered part of the present inven- Y fruit being picked to actuate its stern cutting means, comprising:

(a) a statt having a wire loop mounted at its upper end constituting a iixed jaw member;

l(b) a conveyor having an upper open end adjoining' said jaw member and being secured to said wire loop; and (c) a fiuit-actuatedstem cutting means including:

(l) a mounting plate adapted to be removably clamped on to said wire loop over the upper portion of said jaw member, said mounting plate having (A) a central notch with its open end adjoining said jaw member, and (B) its lower edges adjoining said jaw member adapted to slide the fruit stems contacting them into said notch when said Y fruit picker is pulled downward,

(ll) a pair offlrnives each independently pivotally attached tothe lower side of said mounting plate and separated by said notch, each of said knives:

(A) having a cutting edge adjoining said notch said cutting edge being spaced from sai-d pivoted attachment substantially by the length of said knife,

(B) being spring-biased into an open position wherein the lower portion of its cutting edge extends under the adjoining notch edge and the upper'portion of its cutting edge extends into said notch area and overlaps the other knife-cutting edge,

(C) being adapted to being rotated by a fruit stem pushing against its cutting edge into a closed position wherein each of said Cutting edges overlaps the other knife-cutting edge substantially over its entire length.

2. A fruit picker as stated in claim E. wherein each of the lower edges of said mounting plate form an angle through the axis of said stallC in the range between about 3 to 60.

3. A fruit picker as stated in claim 1 wherein the central portion of said mounting plate'is recessed into said jaw member so that said cutting means is positioned adjacent* to the base of the stem of the fruit being picked.

d. A fruit picker as stated in claim i wherein the staff of said fruit picker has a second wire loop rotatably mounted at its upper end consituting a movable jaw member, said movable iaw member:

(a) being spring-biased into a position remote from said iixed iawV member,

(b) being substantially smaller than said fixed jaw mem- Y ber,

(c) being adapted to be rotated by operating means at the lower end of said statt through said fixed jaw member and past said mounting plate so that fruit is grasped and positioned in the upper end of said conveyor with its stemriding on one of the lower edges of said mounting plate.

5. A fruit picker as stated in claim i wherein the angle between the said cutting edges is in the range between about 20 to 60.

6. A fruit picker as stated in claim 1 wherein said conveyor has an enlarged upper end pocket extending forward of said fixed jaw member Vwhich is adapted to receive fruit whose stem is positioned in said fruit-actuated stem cutting means.

7. A fruit picker as stated in claim l wherein the lower corner portions of said cutting edges are blunt to protect the fruit being picked.

Y A fruitV picker as stated in claim wherein the corners or said notch adioining said jaw area have guard Y means mounted thereon to protect the fruit being picked.

\ '9. A fruit picker adapted to utilize the weight oi the fruit being picked to actuate its stem cutting means, comprising:

(a) a stad having a wire loop mounted at its upper end constituting a fixed jaw member; (b) a fruit-actuated stem cutting means including:

(I) a mounting plate removably clamped on toV said wire loop over the upper portion of said jaw member, said mountingplate having:

(A) a central notch with its open end adjoining said jaw member, and (B)Lits lower edges adjoining said iaw inember adapted to slide the fruit stems contacting them into said notch when said fruit picker is pulled downward, and (Il) a pair of severing means each independently pivotally attached to the lower side of said mounting plate and separated by said notch, the portion of each of said severing means adjoining said notch being spaced from said pivotal attachment substantially by the length of said severing means. 1t). A fruit picker as` stated in claim 9 wherein each of Vsaid ksevering means is a knife having a cutting edge adjoining said notch.

11i.. A fruit picker as stated in claim 9 wherein one of said severing means is a knife having a cutting edge adjoining said notch and the other said severing means is an anvil for said'cutting edge. i

12. A fruit picker as stated in claim 9 wherein the stati of said fruit picker has a second wire loop rotatably mounted at its upper end constituting a movable jaw member, said movable jaw member:

(a) being spring-biased into a position remote from said iixed jaw member, (b) being substantially smaller than said iixed jaw member, (c) being adapted toY be rotated by operating means at lower end of saidstaff through said fixed jaw member and past said mounting plate so that fruit is grasped and positioned in the upper end of said conveyor with its stem riding on one of the lower edges of said mounting plate.

13'.. A fruit picker as stated in claim 1 wherein said stem cutting means includes two shafts attached to said mounting plate and a sleeve slidably mounted on each of said shafts, each of said'knives beingpivotally mounted on one of said sleeves and being separated from the lower side of said mounting plateV by said spring-biasing means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNirED STATES PATENTS 459,660 9/91 smith 56-335 595,160v 12/97 Funk 56-334 999,388 s/ii Meeren et ai.` 56-334 1,023,709 4/12 Baker 56-335 1,309,712 YV7/19 Adams 56-338 2,346,986 4/44 Metzger 56335 v2,516,540 7/50 kBsrkschfit 56-33s 2,990,668 7/61 Brende1 56-333 FOREIGN Ynarnrrrs 1,166,621 6/58 France.

11,224 3/14 Great Britain. @759,746 10/56 Greatuntain.

T. GRAHAM CRAVER, Primary Examiner.

RUSSELL R. K NSEY, Examiner. 

9. A FRUIT PICKER ADAPTED TO UTILIZE THE WEIGHT OF THE FRUIT BEING PICKED TO ACTUATE ITS STEM CUTTING MEANS, COMPRISING: (A) A STAFF HAVING A WIRE LOOP MOUNTED AT ITS UPPER END CONSTITUTING A FIXED JAW MEMBER; (B) A FRUIT-ACTUATED STEM CUTTING MEANS INCLUDING: (I) A MOUNTING PLATE REMOVABLY CLAMPED ON TO SAID WIRE LOOP OVER THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID JAW MEMBER, SAID MOUNTING PLATE HAVING: (A) A CENTRAL NOTCH WITH ITS OPEN END ADJOINING SAID JAW MEMBER, AND (B) ITS LOWER EDGES ADJOININT SAID JAW MEMBER ADAPTED TO SLIDE THE FRUIT STEMS CONTACTING THEM INTO SAID NOTCH WHEN SAID FRUIT PICKER IS PULLED DOWNWARD, AND (II) A PAIR OF SEVERING MEANS EACH INDEPENDENTLY PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO THE LOWER SIDE OF SAID MOUNTING PLATE AND SEPARATED BY SAID NOTCH, THE PORTION OF EACH OF SAID SEVERING MEANS ADJOINING SAID NOTCH BEING SPACED FROM SAID PIVOTAL ATTACHMENT SUBSTANTIALLY BY THE LENGTH OF SAID SEVERING MEANS. 